Pigment, Plant

Name:
Pigment, Plant
Detailed information:
Any of a large number of organic natural colorants produced by living plants, with the exception of fungi and lichens.They may be classified into three groups:
(1) The chlorophylls (types a, b, and c): Green color; they are magnesium-containing porphyrins and are technically considered to be microcrystalline waxes(2) The carotenoids: yellow and orange colors
1. (a) Carotene (straight-chain hydrocarbon)
2. (b) Xanthophyll (straight-chain hydrocarbon containing two oxygen atoms)
(3) The flavanoids: red, yellow, blue, orange, ivory colors; they are oxygen-containing heterocyclic compounds
1. (a) Catechins
2. (b) Flavones, flavanols, anthocyanins
3. (c) Flavanones and leucoanthocyanidins
4. (d) Flavonols
Some of these pigments can be made synthetically. They have limited use as textile colorants and pharmaceutical products.